as in gaunt
being tall, thin and usually loose-jointed
a gangly teenager who was born to play varsity basketball
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gangly
Dern is volcanic, her movements childlike and untamed in their gangly abrasiveness.
—
Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 8 May 2024
So named for his gangly appearance by teammates at Miami, the Hall of Fame linebacker spent one all-pro season with the Packers in 1974.
—Journal Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2024
Eventually, the group’s number is reduced to one: a gangly, smart-mouthed junior named Angus Tully, played by newcomer Dominic Sessa in an exceptionally impressive debut.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
The gangly wood stork, with its long legs and bald head, is none of those.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for gangly 
Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 8 May 2024
So named for his gangly appearance by teammates at Miami, the Hall of Fame linebacker spent one all-pro season with the Packers in 1974.
—Journal Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2024
Eventually, the group’s number is reduced to one: a gangly, smart-mouthed junior named Angus Tully, played by newcomer Dominic Sessa in an exceptionally impressive debut.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
The gangly wood stork, with its long legs and bald head, is none of those.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for gangly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangly
Adjective
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The three male hostages released last Saturday appeared gaunt and frail, and Israelis reacted with anger and horror at their appearance.—
Kat Lonsdorf,
NPR,
10 Feb. 2025
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Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy appeared gaunt and frail as they were paraded by the militants on a makeshift stage in Gaza before they were handed over to the Red Cross.—
Michael Rios,
CNN,
9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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He’s got a whole team scouring the subway for a tall, lanky, besuited man challenging down-on-their-luck strangers to one-on-one ddakji.—
Tony Maglio,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2025
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Paul is in his sixties but has a youthful and bohemian air, with a tall, lanky frame, a ponytail down his back, and the tattoos of past lives along the surface of his arms.—
Rachel Kushner,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The year is already off to a stylish start for Frame, which just dropped a new skinny jean release with Gen Z icon Alix Earle.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
6 Feb. 2025
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Its springy fill and skinny body made for an awkward, if not uncomfortable, side sleep.—
Molly Higgins,
WIRED,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Two dense clusters of the spindly florals become a bikini-tie top, worn with an open-front catsuit that looks like it was drawn directly onto the models body.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN,
4 Feb. 2025
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Listing photos suggest even the décor is unchanged: spindly furniture, oil paintings, and, in that dining room, the kind of plush fabric wall coverings that entice curious fingertips in the decorative wing of the Met.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
29 July 2024
Adjective
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His tools are evident: The ability to hang onto the puck under pressure for a rangier player, or split through traffic to handle underneath sticks, the ability to skate and shoot, the pro frame (listed by the Eagles at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds), etc.—
Scott Wheeler,
The Athletic,
17 Jan. 2025
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The young defenceman was rangy, wanted desperately to be a beast to play against and offered some mobility.—
Joshua Kloke,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Truong makes a strong case for it and goes minimal with thin French tips and daisies peeking out on the corners of each nail for singer Ella Mai.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
18 Feb. 2025
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This draconian action will increase the workload and place new responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin.—
Kathryn Krupnik,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Lift your hips off the ground and place a block underneath your sacrum, the widest, boniest part of your pelvis.—
Cory Martin,
Verywell Health,
16 Oct. 2024
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Differences in Adult Bones That being said, some adults are bonier than others.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
3 Nov. 2023
Thesaurus Entries Near gangly
Cite this Entry
“Gangly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangly. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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